The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to continue contesting the Nandigram bypolls while he is in jail.
The court will hear the case next on October 12, adding that Pradhan can continue to contest provided he gets bail. The court was hearing a plea by Pradhan against coercive action taken against him. Bypolls are on October 6 while results will be declared on October 9.
The advocate who appeared for Pradhan, Ayan Bhattacharya, argued in court that Pradhan is a candidate for the byelections and was not an accused in the sixth case. Bhattacharya also argued that while the case dates back to 2007, the arrest warrant was issued on September 18. The court recorded the state’s submission that while there were 11 cases against Pradhan, he has been arrested in five of them. The remaining cases against Pradhan were withdrawn by the former government.
Pradhan was arrested on Friday in connection with old murder cases against him. While being taken to court on Saturday, he said “they are scared,” referring to the BJP.
The Congress had staged protests in Nandigram and other police station across the state, but Pradhan remained in jail. “Why was he not questioned when he filed his nomination papers?” asked Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury. “The government is on the backfoot. They know that things were going in favour of Milan Pradhan.”
Mamata Banerjee’s faction as the ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ had backed the Congress candidate. Meanwhile, her party candidate, Sandhita Pradhan, withdrew from the contest following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Within an hour of Mamata’s announcement supporting the Congress candidate, Pradhan was arrested.
The contest now is effectively between the BJP Nandigram candidate Hasirani Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, the slain PA of Adhikari. Rath has been a panchayat member and a part of the panchayat samiti. Ritabrata Banerjee’s party Democratic Trinamool Congress has fielded Mohammad Eteshamul Haque. Apart from winning a perception battle with voters, the uncertainty over Pradhan’s bail and contest puts the Congress on uneven ground.
Nandigram was the CM’s erstwhile constituency from 2021-26, which he won again in this year’s assembly elections. Adhikari decided to retain Bhabanipur and give up Nandigram. Nonetheless, the BJP wants to make sure they win Nandigram and create a monopoly in this politically significant constituency.
